Pasta Bolognese
For the ultimate comfort food, look no further than our deliciously rich pasta Bolognese. With plenty of hidden veges in the sauce, this recipe is a winner for a quick and easy family dinner.
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
- 250g dry pasta*
- 1 cup pasta cooking water
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped or 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- 1 leek, white and green parts thinly sliced and thoroughly washed
- 70g tomato paste*
- 250g beef mince*
- 250g mushrooms*, finely chopped to resemble mince
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- ¼ head cauliflower*, florets, stalks and any nice leaves roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
- 300g (2 cups) frozen mixed veges*
- 250g frozen spinach*
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 50g cheese*, grated
* These ingredients are shared with other recipes from week three of the the winter weekly meal planner.
Method
- Cook pasta according to packet instructions. Set aside 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan or pot on the stove over medium high heat, add onions and sauté until softened. Add garlic and stir fry for a minute or until fragrant. Stir through leek and tomato paste, cook for about 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat to high and add mince and mushrooms into the pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until the mince has browned.
- Pour chopped tomatoes into the pan or pot, fill each can with ½ cup of the pasta cooking water and swirl around to get any remaining sauce and add to the mixture.
- Add in cauliflower and dried mixed herbs, stir through and cover with a lid. Bring to a simmer, while stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and leave to simmer until the cauliflower is tender.
- Stir through frozen mixed veges and spinach, bring to a simmer. Test taste, adding salt and pepper as desired. Portion pasta into serving bowls and top with the mince and vege sauce and cheese.
Cooking tips:
- Don’t waste the cauliflower! The stalks can be grated into the sauce if desired.
Adapt it:
- For larger appetites you can increase the amount of pasta, mince and mushrooms if needed.
- You can swap the beef mince for lamb, pork or a plant-based mince.
Kid friendly alternatives:
- Replace leek with more onion if preferred.
- Choose canned tomatoes and tomato paste without added salt and limit salt added when cooking.
- Spinach can be swapped for frozen peas if you like.
Leftover tips:
- This is a perfect dish to reheat for lunch the next day. Or freeze the mince and vege sauce and pasta separately and defrost and heat thoroughly before serving.